The deal is done and both sides are waiting on Oswalt.


UPDATE: Jayson Stark tweets that Oswalt is expected to give the green light on a deal that would send him to the Phillies. However, nothing is official just yet.

UPDATE(2): According to ESPN's Amy K. Nelson, the Phils will add $1 million onto Oswalt's 2012 buyout, making it likely that's the option they'd take. The two sides are also trying to work in a no-trade clause for Oswalt with the Phillies.

UPDATE (3): ESPN's Jerry Crasnick and AOL FanHouse's Ed Price are both hearing outfielder Anthony Gose could be the third guy the Phils send Houston. In all, it would mean Happ, Worley, and Gose for Oswalt and $11 million.

After a couple weeks of back and forth talks between the Phillies and Houston Astros, it appears as though a deal could finally be in place. And, according to rumors, J.A. Happ is one of the guys the Phils will have to give up in order to acquire the Astros' pitcher.

For now, the only two names being mentioned with any certainty are Happ and Oswalt. There are reports that the Astros were pushing hard for Class-A first baseman Jonathan Singleton, but it doesn't appear as though the Phils were willing to part ways with the young slugger.

Outside of Dominic Brown, Singleton is widely considered the Phils' best young hitter, and could one day find himself in the majors.

Another name being kicked around in the deal is Vance Worley, the kid from Double-A who was called up for, I believe, one day before being sent back down. It's not much, but just seeing him on an MLB roster might have made him attractive enough for Houston.

Other than that, the only thing we're hearing is a "young pitcher" from the Phils, and a lot of cash ($10-$12 million) from Houston to help pay Oswalt's salary for the remainder of this season and next year. Oswalt is still owed $5.46 million for the remainder of 2010, $16 million in 2011, and either a $16 million option in 2012 or a $2 million buyout.

Oswalt, however, is demanding that any team he is traded to picks up his option for 2012 or he'll refuse to waive his no-trade clause. The Phillies have basically said that's not happening and they won't be bullied, but there is a possibility they open up talks to restructure his deal in order to keep him around longer at a more reasonable price.

Oswalt does of course have the right to refuse this trade, but it seems unlikely since he's made it quite clear he wants out of Houston. They're a team going nowhere and the Phillies are yearly contenders not only for the division, but for the pennant.

There had been talks that Oswalt doesn't like Citizen's Bank Park (since it's a hitter's park), and would have preferred the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals have, however, dropped out of the Oswalt talks and the Phils appear to be the only team seriously interested at this point.

So if Oswalt truly wants out of Houston, he'll waive the no-trade clause and spend at least a year and a half with a winning franchise
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Polanco has been a spark-plug for the Phils at 2nd.


So, I’m watching TV waiting for these people to get eaten by sharks when a thought crosses my mind: They can’t get eaten—they’re telling the story.

But wait. I can only see them from the neck up. Perhaps someone lost a limb.

There is hope.

There is hope for a pennant too.

That same “Throw them to the sharks” mentally is what Phillies fans are notorious for, so will they sigh with content at two straight four-game sweeps at home or will they expect the team to go in for the kill?

I’m not suggesting the Phillies will have to claw and scrape their way to the top of the division but it sure is nice to attain something with the effort the team has extended lately.

Take Ryan Howard for instance. He’s my vote for hardest working first baseman in America. It’s easy to observe his greatness, especially when he’s playing opposite Jason Giambi. Ryan was sliding and diving and working so hard he looked like he was dipped in chocolate sprinkles.

Someone should lick him off.

I’m sorry, I meant clean him off.

Then there’s Placido Polanco. He’s my vote for greatest spaz at third base. And now he’s playing Chase Utley quite well at second. Polly rules the Phillie Playmate of the Week pinup in my head and excites me so that I extend to him my highest rating yet—.

Wait, my husband says I can’t say that on public access. Let’s just call the third baseman my own Steely Dan.

Jimmy Rollins is back as the renewed leadoff hitter, Shane Victorino is stealing bases so fast I had to check to see if I still had my pants, and the Jayson Werth signs are back. Whatever Greg Gross is giving out, I’m sure it’s a secret and illegal and I want some.

Now that the lineup is hitting, Ruben Amaro, Jr can turn his attention to pitchers not named Hamels or Halladay. I hate to see him scrape the bank account dry but it’s not like he hasn’t tried some insiders.

We’ve seen Antonio Bastardo, Sergio Escalona, and I even had a dream that Brett Myers was back. But they were all gone by sunup.

Then there’s Scott Mathieson: He’s had more elbow surgeries than he has elbows. At this point why wouldn’t he just have them remove those ligaments altogether. Then he could be like RA Dickey, throw the elusive knuckleball, and set the record for most wild pitches in an inning.

Or he could find a side job as a contortionist. Either way, he’s wowing people.

Andrew Carpenter is a name that comes and goes like Hugh Hefner’s wives.

And who the hell is Vance Worley? He was gone before I could pull up the 25 man roster that bore his name. Now he’s mentioned as a candidate for a trade. It’s like the bullpen’s in a game of hide and seek.

Not long ago the Phils had a guy named Dane Sardinha catching pitches from the unknown Mike Zagurski.

Did you know Zagurski is Polish for “No neck?”

I thought not.

Did you know Dane is from Hawaii and his name rhymes with Shane so he and Victorino are neighbors?

Okay, maybe not. That was judgmental of me. It’s like saying since Pamela Anderson and I both have breasts we must be equally as buoyant.

We all know there’s no comparison. She’s like her own personal life vest. Well, unless she gets deflated. Unlike a guy, there’s nothing Viagra can do for her.

Men have all the options. They virtually pull up to the pharmaceutical air compressor when it’s honky-tonk time while girls have to wear their sex appeal around like a BabyBjörn.

Okay, maybe baby Björns are just what mine look like.

Wait, I’m completely off the subject. Where were we?

I know, things that interest me the most: sweaty men in uniform not married to me.

See, if I put it that way, my husband can’t put on a fancy hat, stand in the sun for a second, and think he has a chance without Tequila. I tell him that’s why The Village People haven’t staged a comeback—like a Charlie Manuel pinup, I think it’s illegal.

Like me going for a swim at the Playboy mansion. I can pay my way into the public pool but a fake bunny tattoo doesn’t get me into Hugh’s place even with my A-cup discount.

Besides childbirth has left me a little leaky—plus my stream now pulls to the right. If Pamela and I were in the pool together I’d have to stand to her left when I have to sneeze, especially if Hugh has that blue indicator in the pool.

I’m like a peeing ventriloquist.

I’m sorry. My husband says that’s too much information.

Speaking of my beau, he’s now following my blogging progress online. He said, “Dolly Parton has 674-some thousand followers and you have 56. There are two reasons for that and both of them are holding up her blouse.”

What’s he saying—I need a strap-on chest?

Maybe I need a BigMamma Björn.

My husband says I need more help than that. Even the sharks won’t come for me.

That’s because they know I pee in the pool.

I'm done now.

See you at the ballpark.
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Worley is skipping Lehigh Valley and coming to Philly.


Jamie Moyer, who had to leave Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning after injuring his elbow, is headed to the disabled list. And, by the sounds of it, he'll be the for quite some time.

Skipper Charlie Manuel compared the injury to J.A. Happ's -- an injury that sidelined Happ since April 16th and only has him scheduled to return to the rotation on Saturday. Given Moyer's age, it likely means we've seen the last of him for the 2010 season.

To take his place (and the place of the short-lived Andrew Carpenter experiment), the Phillies have called up Vance Worley from Double-A Reading. Worley will take a long relief role in the bullpen after going 9-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 19 starts for Reading.

Worley was the team's third-round pick of the First-Year Player Draft back in 2008.

If Manuel is right and Moyer is going to miss at least a couple months because of this injury, it makes it that much more likely the Phils will soon be swinging a trade for a starting pitcher rather than pulling guys up from Triple-A to round out the rotation.

However, if trade talks fall through, it's possible Worley could be given a chance to start in Moyer's place this upcoming Sunday.
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